Facing growing customer dissatisfaction and declining park attendance, Walt Disney World has been quietly reducing admission and hotel stay costs over recent months.
In May, Disney began offering discounted three-day ticket packages, allowing visitors to Hollywood Studios, EPCOT, and Animal Kingdom for $89 per day. However, tickets to Magic Kingdom must still be purchased separately.
These reduced ticket prices, available through September 24, mark a significant drop from the peak $254 price of a daily Park Hopper pass.
Simultaneously, Disney is lowering the overall cost of trips to its Florida resort complex by discounting its budget hotel options. A night at Disney’s All-Star Movies, Music, and Sports Resort could be as low as $100, depending on the timing of booking. According to a Bloomberg analysis, these price reductions offer up to a 27% discount on the usual rates.
Additionally, the parks have introduced new dining packages this summer, reducing food costs by 20% to 30%, according to Bloomberg. The dining plan allows families to purchase all-day meal passes for $30 per child and $95 per adult, redeemable for various meals and snacks throughout the parks. Disney World is also increasing quick meal options, offering cheaper food for kids, and implementing more flexible restaurant policies.
Experts point to the rising cost of dining within the parks as a key factor in declining customer satisfaction. Len Testa, president of TouringPlans.com, which surveys thousands of Disney customers annually, told Bloomberg that customer satisfaction ratings fell from 90% to 60% with Disney’s shift from a la carte dining to fixed-price meals at many popular restaurants.
Testa acknowledged Disney’s cost-cutting measures but warned that this might not indicate a genuine commitment to affordability or guest satisfaction.
“Disney has long been willing to sacrifice a certain number of positive ratings for a certain amount of revenue,” he told Bloomberg.